China, where the sky is white!

Yeah it's true we have been here a week and we have it confirmed every day, the sky is white/light grey. A mix of pollution, dust, cigarette smoke...and other things we don't care to think about.

We have very mixed feelings about China. No doubt that China has some of the world's most stunning nature, most amazing cultural sights and history. But first we have to tell you about the day to day living for a backpacker...We are struggling mainly with three things.

1. Chinese Personal Hygiene, or the lack of it. Rubbish is thrown everywhere, no one would consider putting anything in a bin. We were sitting waiting in a train station and the man opposite us is eating a piece of meat on the bone. Taking big bites, opening his mouth every now and then and spitting out pieces of bone, tendons and other part he didn't want to swallow right there on the floor. No one cares! People carry nail clippers with them and cut finger/toe nails on trains, busses and in shops. No one batts an eyelid, we almost puke!!! Spitting and very load hocking is done everywhere, inside shopping malls, trains, busses and outside. On a carpet or floor... It's hard when you are on a 27h train journey and all of this is going on around you... Let's say Phil made his views clear very loudly in english, but noone understood...lucky or unlucky? Kids go for a wee anywhere....they have special trousers with a slit for that business...hope the Chinese have an age limit for it...

2. Staring...People stare! As in STARE, point, tell all their friends to look. It can be very awkward when you are the only westerns with 300-400 people in a waiting hall. Or the only westerns on a long train journey and the rumour has it that you can go to carriage 13 to have a look at the "circus animals" . People come by, stop in front of where you are sitting and stare at you. We have different types of "starers" though, we don't mind the people smiling, waving or coming up shaking our hand or say "Hello". We have a slight problem with everyone wanting to take their picture with us...quite time consuming...sometimes. Big problem with people staring with no change in facial expression and continuing staring for 5 minutes. We are entertained by the people staring and walking in to things or falling down stairs.

3. The language of course, we can't read it, we can't understand it and we can't speak it. It's hard even trying to pronounce the places in the english version. It is very hard to book a train ticket and when you got your ticket you walk around the train station, being stared at, avoiding spitting people, and showing your ticket to staff to get pointed in the right direction of the platform.

But a lot of Chinese people are friendly and helpful and are very interested in us. Some kids a gorgeous when they say Hello or laugh and look at you.

We started our journey in China with a 27h train journey from Guangzhou up to Xian. In Xian we visited the Terracotta Army. It completely blows your mind. This was built over 2000 years ago! At that time, the Swedes "the vikings" were busy drinking mead, living in caves and slautering each other and the English were scratching their balls wearing bear skins ( or something like that). The army was built underground on the command of the first chinese emperor to protect him in the afterlife. We enjoyed Xian, it has an amazing history and so many historical sights. The city walls are beautiful and there are many pagodas through out the city. We stayed in a traditional looking chinese hostel.

After a few days, we took the train to a village called Hua Shan and stayed the night to get up very early the following morning to climb the mountain near by. Hua Shan is one of five sacred mountains in China and the highest peak is 2100m. There are several temples and pagodas on the mountain. People carry gold padlocks with them up and attach them to chains at the top and it will bring good health and safety for them and their families. It was quite a sight to see thousands of padlocks up on the mountain. The climb up was very very hard! We started in the village at 7 am and reached the top 5 hours later. Very sweaty and with very tired legs. There are thousands and thousands of stone steps and stairs to reach the peak. It is quite dangerous in places. Not many people go from the bottom, there is a cable car going up to 1600m. But we made it, holding on to chains and going up all the steps. It was a great feeling to reach the top and the scenery is some of the most spectacular we have seen so far on our trip. The mist was clearing over the mountain and we could see for miles. Have a look at the photos, it truley is amazing.

Our trip through China continous...